Most of us think brownies, cupcakes and fresh rolls when we think of bakeries, but in the exotic world of ethnic bakeries, the range tends to go far beyond bread and sweets. Armenia may never play the Philippines in the World Cup, but they can be compared in terms of their bakeries, as two ethnicities that make up the ever-growing Vegas food world.
Ararat Pastry in the Village Square Center belongs to Levon Gulbenkian, an Armenian born in the former Soviet republic of Georgia, and his Armenian-born wife, Zara. Pastries are made by Brazilian Diego Silva. I dare you to get more cross-cultural than that.
The pastries, displayed in a grand case that dominates the small space, are cross-cultural as well, including classic European goodies such as the éclair and Napoleon, Middle Eastern treats such as kataif (shredded phyllo dough stuffed with crushed walnuts) and traditional Armenian pastries made to be consumed with cups of muddy soorj, Armenian coffee that you can have at one of the bakery’s tiny tables.
My raison d’etre here is different. I’m hooked on the various piroshki, Russian pastries filled with things such as spiced cabbage, potatoes or ground meat, served hot; and bourek, Georgian pies filled with farmer’s cheese or olives.
The piroshki are made with an oily, yeasty dough, so don’t let them cool on you. Bourek are best hot, as well, but the crusty dough is more like that of a croissant, so room temp works fine, too. I am especially fond of this cheese bourek. Baker Silva trained with world-famous French pastry chef Francois Payard, but somehow, I don’t think he did boureks with him.
But Silva’s repertoire is impressive, and the quality of his work is uniformly excellent. Cigarette is a mix of crushed walnuts, cinnamon and brown sugar rolled up in pastry; and kourabiye are buttery, shortbread-like cookies dusted with confectioner’s sugar.
France is given its due with a delicious chocolate mousse made with Valrhona chocolate. There is a nice Italian tiramisu, with a touch of Kahlua. Silva even does a mean carrot cake. Wonder if carrot cake has come to Brazil or Armenia yet?
Ararat Pastry, 9440 W. Sahara Ave.
221-2728. Open 9 a.m.- 7 p.m. Mon.-Thurs., 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Fri.-Sat., 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sun Suggested items: piroshki, $1.25; bourek, $1.50; kataif, $1.25.
The snacking gets more intense at Maharlika Restaurant and Bakery, a market and seven-table restaurant belonging to Tony and Christy Surtida. Filipinos snack as much as any group I have ever encountered, and they make a variety of wonderful finger foods. On the counter, as you walk in, are yeasty, fluffy asado buns, baked on the premises and bursting with a great stewed-pork filling. Come before noon, when they are still warm.
Over at the bakery counter, there are individually wrapped goodies such as biscocho, a sweetened type of rusk close to biscotti, at the bargain price of $1.99. Kalamay are soft, sweet rice cakes, and biko are similar, except they are made from black rice.
Kikanin are rainbow-hued cakes composed of cassava, a starchy root. If you insist, there are various rolls and breads as well, most of them packaged by the dozen.
Look for me by the steam table, where the Surtidas serve hot snacks and various plate lunches, as well as several types of combination plates. A hot box next to the steam table is stocked with more snacks, things like chicken ruffles, fried hunks of salty, crispy chicken skins your internist doesn’t want you to eat, and chicken empanadas, crusty, boat-shaped turnovers stuffed with spicy chopped chicken and vegetables.
Look for sweet longanisa, Filipino pork sausages, and the finger food called sisig, minced pork mixed with onions, ginger, jalapenos, lemon juice and garlic, the perfect food for nibbling on while guzzling that San Miguel, the lager beer of the Philippines. If you want a more conventional meal, with steamed rice and all that, you can easily feed a pair of hungry people on a three-item combo for only $5.99.
The lunch menu changes daily, a greatest-hits menu that includes, on Mondays, beef mechado, a terrific take on beef stew; on Tuesdays, sweet and sour fish; on Wednesdays, the braised chicken or pork dish known as adobo, redolent of vinegar; and almost every day, pancit Canton, wispy, sautéed rice noodles stir-fried with meat and vegetables.
Filipino egg rolls, lumpia, are terrific, long, meat-filled cigars. You’ll get them on a Friday. Sunday is barbecue day here. Anyone for grilled giant squid?
Maharlika Restaurant and Bakery, 4001 S. Decatur Blvd. 220-5096. Open daily, 8:30 a.m.-7 p.m. Suggested items: asado buns, $1.29; biscocho, $1.99; 3-item combo plate, $5.99.